For those unfamiliar with Homefield, this Indianapolis-based company specializes in digging deep into the history of all the schools they do business with. This isn’t just some retro bit for nostalgia’s sake. These designs are incredibly thoughtful and, most importantly, consistently rock.

Not only are the designs of the shirts and hoodies ridiculously eye-catching, but they are insanely comfortable too. I made this mistake of letting Mrs. Tex feel how soft the hoodie was and I have now lost ownership of said hoodie.

Thankfully, the Notre Dame collection is now live so I can pick up another one, as well as some other incredible designs that I’ve been salivating over. Make your wallet hurt a little bit less by using the code LOYALSONS for 15% off your first purchase.

Go stock up on the best looking and most comfortable digs for the resumption of tailgating season and don’t forget to use LOYALSONS for 15% off!

The post Shop Homefield’s Vintage Notre Dame Collection RIGHT NOW! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Our friends over at Playbook Products, who put up a set of their slate coasters as part of the HLS Pick ‘Em grand prize this past year, are wanting to do a Father’s Day giveaway. Up for grabs are two different prizes: a set of the slate coasters pictured above, and a coffee mug similar to the one below.

So with that said, let’s get to some of the questions that might be on your mind right now.

How do I Enter?

Simply make a donation, of any value (yes, even just $1), to my Extra Life Campaign. The funds all go to directly to cancer research and benefit the Children’s Hospital Foundation of Oklahoma City in memory of Aven, who passed during his battle with Leukemia and received care at that very hospital (and whom y’all graciously helped while he was still alive).

In short, to have a chance to make your dad smile, I simply ask you donate to a cause that helps fight any father’s worst nightmare. That’s it.

The deadline to donate is next Wednesday, June 10 by 11:59 PM PDT (as that’s the time zone the site uses). Every donation, no matter how big or small, will enter you in the drawing. I will contact the winners on Thursday, June 11 to get shipping information so we can get the gift in time for Father’s Day.

That’s Cool and All but Can I Just Buy It?

Absolutely! In fact, Playbook Products has an exclusive code to get you 15% off. Simply use “HERLOYALDADS20” at checkout for your discount and you can get any of their awesome Notre Dame products on the cheap for your father (or for yourself, let’s not lie).

How in the World Did You Post About This Before ND/Navy News?!

*peels toddlers off while clawing up the hellscape of the world*

I only have time to squeeze in one post. If you’d like a good digest, check out our friends at One Foot Down who’ve been pounding in Annapolis drum for a while.

But in all seriousness, we aren’t even getting payola for this. It’s a cool offer from folks that were kind enough to sweeten the pot for our pick ’em last season. We probably could all use a little something awesome right now and we might as well help kids fighting cancer while doing it.

The post Notre Dame Father’s Day Gift Giveaway appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

You can download that season preview over at their site for free–all you have to provide is your email address.

As we’ve been doing a lot of (re)introductions here at HLS, it’s probably a good time to let y’all know about the longest running sponsor that we’ve had here. In short, we work to try and deliver sponsors that provide a service or product that makes sense. Not being gouged by a hotel during a game weekend (or other major campus event) is absolutely within that realm.

I’ve used them for practically every single trip that I’ve taken back to a Notre Dame game weekend. The houses they have are perfect for groups both large and small and many rentals are within walking distance to campus.

So, download that preview and get your housing situation in order for this season (or perhaps Junior Parents Weekend or graduation).

The post Preview Like a Champion appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Here are some ways you can help us:

Amazon

Amazon is my personal go-to for just about anything. If you visit Amazon through our affiliate link, anything you buy will give HLS a portion of your purchase. By the way, that link never expires. So feel free to use that whenever you shop at Amazon.

If you haven’t yet tried the wonder that is Amazon Prime, you can sign up for a 30-day free trail, or, give the gift of Prime. Both will benefit HLS!

Other trails offers available:

• AmazonFresh
• Twitch Prime
• Join Amazon Kindle Unlimited 30-Day Free Trial
• Try Audible and Get Two Free Audiobooks
• Join HBO Free Trial

Fanatics

This year is our first year as a Fanatics affiliate. You may have seen the banner over on our sidebar for Notre Dame gear (or you can use this link) which is good year-round. There are also some cool deals coming down the pipe for Thanksgiving and Black Friday shopping:

• Thanksgiving Day Special: 20% off all orders with code TURKEY
• Black Friday: 25% off all orders with code BLACKFRI
• Sitewide Markdown: 25-65% off including 25% off Nike and Under Armour gear at Fanatics.com

All time-sensitive offers will start and end on their respective days at midnight EST.

Bouqs

This Notre Dame alumnus-run business specializes in getting you great flowers, with free shipping, and no surprise add-ons. Seriously, the only thing you have an option of adding is a vase. So build some holiday cheer with flowers with the following offers:

• Take $30 Off Orders of $100+ with Code: SAVE30 at The Bouqs! Valid 11/24-11/27
• $15 off $60 with Code: FLOWERS15 at The Bouqs! Valid Through 11/30 (New customers only)
• Double Your Blooms with Code: DBLBQS at The Bouqs! Valid Through 11/30 (New customers only)

So please use any of the links above and help spread the word. Your support helps me pay the bills without going bankrupt, plus having the ability to pay everyone on staff that contributes to HLS.

Many thanks for your continued support!

The post Support HLS While You Shop! appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Well, half the regular season is in the books, and the Fighting Irish sit at 5-1 and #16 in the latest AP poll.

At Rent Like A Champion, we haven’t just been helping fans find amazing vacation rentals near Notre Dame Stadium all season long (shameless plug, we’ve got nearly 1,000 weekend homes available for YOUR next South Bend weekend), we’ve been keeping fans posted with our weekly newsletter as the Irish climb the ranks of college football.

But we couldn’t wait until next week to start getting pumped up about this game, so as Brian Kelly and his team go into the bye week, here’s what they should be focused on with the Trojans coming to town…

1) Just run the football

Look, I’m all for letting Brandon Wimbush air out the ball, and I believe Equanimeous St. Brown is absolutely the coolest name in college football.

But Notre Dame should just run the football next Saturday, because USC’s front seven is SUSPECT to say the least, gang.

They’re giving up 143 yards per game on the ground, which lands them at 55^th in the country. In their loss to Washington State a few weeks ago, they gave up 122 yards and 4.07 yards per carry to a team that hadn’t gotten close to cracking 100 yards against anyone but FCS Montana State.

Now if only there was someone on the Fighting Irish who was one of the country’s elite running backs and OH YEAH IT’S JOSH ADAMS.

Adams and this dominating front seven have been absolutely exceptional this season, with an explosiveness rating that lands them 2^nd in the S&P+ rankings (1.41), and a power success rate (the rate at which rushes on third or fourth down are successful) at a staggering 80%.

Those advanced stats have resulted in a rushing attack that ranks 6^th in the country in yards per game (308), 3^rd in rushing touchdowns (23), and 2^nd in yards per carry (6.9).

Don’t mess around this week, coach. Give the ball to Adams and company and let them work their magic.

2) Getting more aggressive in the secondary

Notre Dame’s defense has been excellent this season—especially considering it was such a weak spot during the Fighting Irish’s 2016 campaign.

Ryan noted earlier this week that it was the Irish’s defense that propelled them to victory in Chapel Hill, and with an offense that was slow going towards the beginning the season, that defensive difference-making has been the key to Notre Dame’s early-season success.

But preseason Heisman candidate Sam Darnold and this USC offense will likely attack Notre Dame in the only place where they’ve been vulnerable this season: the secondary.

The Irish rank 78^th in the country in passing yards allowed per game (231.2), and their secondary’s havoc rate (percentage of plays in which they record a tackle for loss, pass defended, or forced fumble) is only 5.2%.

The front seven for Notre Dame has been excellent thus far this year—especially the linebackers. If they can get pressure on Darnold it will make life easier, but the Irish secondary will have to make plays to shut down this USC offense.

3) Win the fourth quarter

S&P+ projects that this game will come down to the wire, with an expected finish somewhere around 30-27 in favor of Notre Dame.

If this holds true, it means that for the first time since their game against Georgia, Notre Dame will have to play in a game that’s undecided going into the fourth quarter.

So far this season, Notre Dame has been up and down in the fourth quarter, with high per play success rates against teams like Temple (50%), Boston College (42%), and UNC (45%).

But they’ve struggled against higher competition, going 21% against Georgia and 25% against Michigan State.

They are, however, holding opponents to an average success rate of just 35.83% in the fourth quarter, which bodes well against a USC team that lost late in their only major road test of 2017.

And part of that, of course, will call on the Fighting Irish faithful to make Notre Dame Stadium a hostile environment for a USC team looking to get their season back on track with a huge win.

We’re already counting down the days, fans, and we can’t wait for this one to get underway…

So… you want to be at the game?

At Rent Like A Champion, we still have over 300 weekend homes available near Notre Dame Stadium so you can cheer on the Irish from South Bend in their biggest home game of the season!

And don’t forget! We’re keeping Notre Dame fans like you updated every week with our newsletter, so subscribe here and get Notre Dame news, recaps, and previews throughout this season!

The post Three Ways Notre Dame Can Beat USC appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

HLS is an Amazon Affiliate, meaning if you click any of our Amazon links, we will get a small commission on pretty much anything that you purchase. There’s no catch here. You can just hop on over to Prime Day via a link like this one and just shop like you normally would. You still get all of the great deals and the Amazon hamsters will make sure to take care of the rest so we get a cut here at HLS.

Now, this event is only available for Prime members. If you shop at Amazon regularly, you already know the subscription fee is the best deal on the site for just the two-day (or in some cases one-day) free shipping. As a Prime member, you also get access to Prime Instant Video, Prime Music, Prime Photos (think Dropbox, but unlimited photo storage), and the Kindle Owner’s Lending Library.

So if you want in on Prime Day, aren’t a Prime member, and want to give Amazon Prime a free 30-day spin, you can also support HLS by signing up for your Prime free trial here. Once you get your trial, you will have full access to the Prime Day event.

Help us pay the bills and our awesome staff while getting some great deals of your own. Sign up for Prime if you haven’t and enjoy Amazon Prime Day on July 15!

The post Support HLS: Amazon Prime Day appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

Now, they are expanding their rental business nationwide.

While Rent Like a Champion has operated a rental network, all of the different sites across the nation have operated under different names. Now, all of those different sites will be under the Rent Like a Champion brand. Last year, Rent Like a Champion saw nearly 1,000 homeowners in 17 cities sign up for their service, allowing them to accommodate over 25,000 guests.

“Uniting our service under the Rent Like a Champion brand will not only help us grow more efficiently, but it also shows the company’s Notre Dame roots and our longstanding ties to the South Bend community,” said CEO, Mike Doyle, “We are truly grateful to the people in South Bend who have helped us get to this point. Our company has come a long way since we started, but none of it would have been possible without the support of our first homeowners and renters here in South Bend who believed in us.”

Personally, there is no other way that I would travel out to South Bend for a football weekend than with a Rent Like a Champion rental. I’m not just saying this because they are helping us pay the bills either. There is simply no more affordable way to stay in South Bend with family or a group of friends than renting. Plus, many of the properties that I’ve stayed at have had things like fire pits or grills that make hosting your own tailgate, after-party, or ‘Backer pre-party incredibly easy.

So if you are heading to Notre Dame this year, check them out if you haven’t before. And now, if you happen to be travelling to another city for a football weekend, make sure to check if Rent Like a Champion has rentals available in the area!

The post Rent Like a Champion Goes Nationwide appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

So what do they do? Think of it as Rent Like a Champion, but for parking spots.

The only thing worth more than Notre Dame tickets are parking passes for the stadium and library lots. Actually, let’s be honest, it’s easier and cheaper to find a ND ticket than a parking pass more often than not.

At that point, you are stuck in a public lot that requires a shuttle to get you to campus or back. Or you hope you find a homeowner that is offering parking. And what if you have a big group wanting to tailgate? You’ll probably be stuck in the shuttled lots at ND unless you are willing to gamble that the homeowner you just found will let you party in their lawn.

What if you are one of those few that knows every small lot like the back of your hand? You wake up early, drive out, and all of a sudden that hidden spot you knew about is full of ND fans!

Park n’ Party solves all of these issues.

When you head over to their site, you’ll find five lots listed. Four of these lots are within a mile of the stadium and the fifth, just 1.9 miles away, allows for RV parking. All lots allow for tailgating and you can even reserve a spot in the Eddie Commons parking garage!

Each reservation with Park n’ Party comes with an On Time guarantee. Show up “On Time” (30 minutes before kickoff), and your spot is guaranteed. If it isn’t, give them a call and they will find a lot for you to park in. If nothing’s available, they’ll transfer the reservation to another game. If you don’t want that, you get your money back. Either way, they are going to make it right.

So if you have you are looking to organize a large party, or if you are just looking for some hassle free parking, head on over to Park n’ Party and make your reservation today!

The post Introducing Park n’ Party appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

For years, Notre Dame has held a Fantasy Camp on campus, culminating with every camper donning the blue & gold and fulfilling their ND dream by running out of the tunnel and playing in a game in the House That Rock Built on the Grass That Rock Grew.

However, the folks at the ND Fantasy Camp, whom have been running a campaign with us for a little over a month, delivered some shocking news to me. As the field turf installation will run over the summer, the usual Fantasy Camp game simply cannot be held at Notre Dame Stadium.

Instead, campers will be forced to deal with playing this game at Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears.

I am not sure how these campers are going to manage fulfilling any NFL dreams along with collegiate ones, but I hope they manage. It sounds like the fantasy camp folks are trying to blunt the pain by announcing that some guys named Ricky Waters and Brady Quinn will be there as well.

——————–

Alright, time to get serious now and kill the obvious jokes/trolling to give our sponsor some serious props.

I can only imagine the mad scramble that these folks had to go through once they got the turf installation timeline. Serious kudos to their entire staff for pulling this off. I am now even more jealous of all the campers that will take part in the camp this year and I’m not even a Bears fan.

They could have just as easily said “well, I guess we will just have to have the game at Cartier this year.” Instead, they managed to find a way to up the unique experience even more and truly give this year’s camp a once-in-a-lifetime feeling.

More importantly, there is still time to register for the camp and get this once-in-a-lifetime feeling for yourself! If this latest announcement just made this bucket-list event a can’t miss experience this year, head on over and register via our banner or through this link. I’ve been told that registration will close after Easter, so get on this before time runs out!

The post BREAKING: Field Turf Installation Claims Another ND Tradition appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.

If there is one staple for this day, it is flowers. You know, those things that tend to skyrocket in price for this holiday. Oh sure, you are likely going to see a “deal” in your inbox that makes you think that you are getting off the hook, but after all the hidden charges, you’ve spent at least three times as much as you initially expected.

Our sponsor, The Bouqs, founded by a Notre Dame alumnus, has you covered. I’ll let him explain:

[youtube id=”6hm5zX0Nlno”]

Yes, that’s $40 for a dozen Bouqs with free shipping, even for this flower-price-gouging holiday. In fact, The Bouqs is taking this a step further. For the rest of January, you can double your order for just $10 dollars more. That’s right, 2 dozen Bouqs for just $50. Can’t figure out what to get that special someone, just have The Bouqs “Make It Awesome” for the standard $40 and they’ll toss in a $5 credit on your next order for your trust.

Edit: I just got another promo in my inbox. Schedule your Bouqs to arrive between Feb 11-13 and The Bouqs will pay you $10. Get your flowers early, hand deliver, win V-Day and get money back! Also, use the promo code “BouqLove” for 10% off.

And yes, there’s something in it for HLS too. Every order you make by first clicking any of The Bouqs banners on HLS gives us a referral fee.

To recap: Get your V-Day flowers in order, save money, get the best quality possible from an online service, support HLS, support a ND alumnus run company, and make your life easier.

This is a win for everyone. Get on it!

The post Brace Yourself, Valentine’s Day Is Coming appeared first on Her Loyal Sons.